Kansas City, MO Tornado, Jun 1882

KANSAS CITY, June 17.---This city was visited last night by a terrific tornado, which unroofed and overturned houses, blew down trees and fences and worked general havoc. Fowler Brother's cooper were blown down, and Thoman madden, who was in the latter, was killed. The Howell Hotel, at Roseda's a suburban town, was also blown down, killing William Reese, Fred Powell had a leg broken. At Wyandotte, across the Kansas river, Durring's opera house was unroofed. The loss in Kansas City is estimated at $200,000.

The Macon Telegraph and Messenger, Macon, GA 18 Jun 1882

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A Kansas City despatch[sic] says that city was visited last night by a terrible tornado, which unroofed and overturned houses, blew down trees and fences, and worked general havoc. Fowler Brother's cooper shop and the Western Paint Shops were blown down.

The storm, which was a general one throughout this section, came just in time to check the decline in grain, infusing considerable strength into the markets, and causing something of an advance early in the day. The telegraph companies were all in trouble, with poles protested and wires down, and there was consequently a lack of telegraphic facilities, and market reports from other points were few and far between. How much damage was done to wheat in the country cannot be learned, but, as the storm extended over a considerable section of the State, there probably was a good deal of the standing grain prostrated. It is thought, however, that if the weather becomes settled again, and is warm and dry, there will be little damage done, and the effects of the storm will be only temporary.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA 19 Jun 1882

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Wicked Winds.

A terrific tornado swept over a large portion of the southwestern states on the 17th inst., leaving death and desolation in its wake. At Kansas City, Mo., damage to the extent of $200,000 was inflicted. Among the houses blown down was a new three-story spice mill. The court house roof was blown off, and one of the wings was carried away, entailing a loss of $10,000. Two street car stables were blown entirely down and several horses and mules were killed. A new iron bridge of five spans between Kansas City and Armourdale was entirely demolished, three spans being completely blown away. The bridge cost $40,000. In many instances houses were blown in on the inhabitants, and though fifty are more or less seriously bruised, only one person, a young man named Thomas Madden, is believed to have beer, killed outright. He was buried under several tons of brick, from a falling building by the side of which he had taken refuge during the storm.

The Stevens Point Journal, Stevens Point, WI 24 Jun 1882

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AT KANSAS CITY.

A cyclone struck Kansas City at one o'clock this morning. Houses were blown down, roofs taken off, sidewalks torn up, telegraph poles and wires flatten, trees uprooted, and many other calamities can be recorded, including a number of people and animals injured by falling boards, bricks and debris. The exact amount of damage done to property is hard to determined at present as all is confusion around the dismantled buildings, but it will reach far into the thousands.

A new three-story brick on Second street, just west of the water works office, which is located on the corner of Main and Second streets, was completely demolished. It belonged to J. H. Oglesby, and cost $10,000. It was finished last week, and was occupied a few days ago by Hogan, Smith, & Moffatt as a spice works. Their machinery, worth $5,000, is buried beneath a mass of debris. The county court house was nearly unroofed, the windows broken in and things scattered around promiscuously. The jailer and his family were shaken out of bed. The office of the National water works on the corner of Second and Main, next to the wrecked buildings of Oglesby, was considerably damaged. The whirlwind struck the large three-story at 305 West Fifth street, and tore off the third story and roof. Philips & Hahn, boot and shoe manufacturers, occupied the third story and their loss is heavy. No lives lost. Part of the roof of the Delmonico building, and part of the roof of the Metropolitan Hotel, was lifted off. The third story the brick building of J. Smith, on Fifth street, was torn down and damaged $2,000. A small frame house on the north side of Fifth street was completely wrecked. The corner of Roden's new building on Third and Walnut, and the upper part of the building, was torn out, while Coates' opera house was partially unroofed.